Turning the Tables
by Ms. Selly
Summary: Take one Slayer turned vampire...add one geeky Scooby turned vampire sorceress...add one rebel vampire turned vampire mastermind...and you get one Hellmouth town that will never be the same. SPUFFOW
1. Chapter 1

Turning the Tables

Part 1

Setting: Just after 'Passions'

Disclaimer: I don't own any little bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Bummer for me.

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            Buffy hummed softly along to the radio as she put away her laundry.  Sunnydale's all purpose station, WSUN, was having their weekly Flashback Party.  This week was 'Back to the Eighties', and she recognized the opening chords of 'Tainted Love'.  She continued her humming, and as she listened, her thoughts drifted to the only topic on her mind lately. Angel.  She missed him so terribly much, it was unbelievable.  It felt like she was drowning, struggling to breathe.  How ironic it was that Angel, who did not breathe, was her breath.  The past weeks had been absolute hell, and just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, Angelus made a new play.  Ms. Calendar.  Buffy remembered that just yesterday she had been angry and bitter with the computer teacher.  Now she was gone, and the Slayer was left with powerful guilt.  Added to the enormous guilt that was already laying on her from the loss of Angel's soul; it was crushing.

            "I can't sleep at night…" she sang thickly, eyes welling up against her will.  _Don't do this…you've cried enough._  Taking deep breaths, she folded a cheery blouse and tried to steady herself.  Just as soon as she thought she had herself under control, the flood gates broke loose and she began to sob silently.  Her shoulders heaved and her tears flowed, but she didn't make a sound.  Like always.  Crying, dying inside, and putting on a smile.  How much longer could she last like this?  Hiding the harshest of her pain and grief, what she needed help with most?  She started to take another breath, but a cool hand closed around her wind pipe and another body pressed heavily against hers.

            "There now, pet. Don't cry.  I'm going to make all the pain go away." Buffy whimpered, then cursed herself.  A cardinal rule of Slaying: Never let them know you're afraid.  Vampires feed on fear as much as blood.

            "Hush.  I could crush your neck before anyone heard you.  Besides, you scream, I kill her."  Spike chuckled softly and tightened his grip slightly.  He was so close she could feel his breath on her face, cool against her skin.  Buffy bit her lip.  She knew he was right.  She would die before her voice did, barely giving anyone time to hear her scream, much less save her.  Besides, she had no doubt he would kill her mother without a second thought.  It was entirely possible he already had killed her, but she didn't want to add to the odds.

            Two pricks, and searing pain on her throat.  Her lip bled, and she dryly thought how humorous it was.  Both she and her mortal enemy were tasting the exact same thing.  She closed her eyes to shut off any more tears, she wouldn't give him that pleasure.  And, silently, she stopped breathing.

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THREE HOURS BEFORE

            Spike sat glumly in his wheelchair, hating the world.  Well, maybe not the world.  But Sunnydale.  Not all of Sunnydale…pretty much just Angelus.  Hating Angelus with a more bitter passion than ever before.  Angelus who was running his life.  Angelus who made cracks about his weakened state, his sacrifice.  Angelus who, at the moment, was in the bedroom with Drusilla…from which came lots of thumping sounds and high-pitched giggles.

            "Stupid blighter…" Spike muttered, clenching his fists.  This was all her fault! The blood Slayer!  He remembered, it seemed so long ago, going after those idiotic vampire worshippers.  The Slayer had been there then, and he had been so afraid he would lose his princess.  His beautiful, precious Drusilla.  That the Slayer would take her away from him.  And she had.  Not then, no…she waited until he was down to strike.  Little slut, just had to fling herself into her namby-pamby loverboy's bed and send off his soul.  The nerve of that bitch!  _I'm gonna kill her_…Spike thought angrily.  His fury twisted and burned till he was hit with an idea.  _I'm gonna kill her now!_  He would kill the Slayer…that would prove to Dru that he was just as tough as Angelus was, tougher even!  She would coming running back to him, sorry she had ever left his side.  They could get the hell out of Sunnydale, leave Angelus here to his little vendetta and live the high life for the rest of eternity.  Maybe even find a nice spot to settle down in, stay put for a while.  Inspired by the vision of himself and Drusilla cuddled up in their own mansion, far away from Angelus and any Slayers, he gripped the arms of the wheelchair and pushed himself up.  He could stand, just barely, and had to grab onto a statue as he tumbled forward.  But it was enough.  If he could surprise her, he wouldn't need to fight or even walk for long.  Just get to her house, and kill her.  Kill her mother, kill anyone there.  And sit back, and wait for Drusilla to throw herself back into his arms.

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ONE HOUR BEFORE (before the first section, not this one)

When Joyce Summers heard the doorbell ring, she braced herself.  It was likely it would be that bastard Angel, back to hound her poor daughter.  She usually tried to think positively, or at least neutrally, about everyone.  But this was just too much. It was sick, just what she should have seen coming.  All those parenting books, it was a scenario she should have spotted a mile away.  A mysterious older man whose sweet words and pretty face seduced her innocent little girl.  She put on her meanest mom-scowl and opened the door.  It wasn't Angel.  Instead, it was a pale man with platinum blonde hair and stunningly blue eyes.  Maybe it wasn't Him…but this man certainly didn't seem like any better news, clad entirely in black.  Definitely not the kind of man she wanted on her doorstep.

            "I'm looking for Buffy," he said.  He was leaning heavily against the door frame.

            "I'll bet you are," she said, eyes narrowing.  The man looked somewhat confused.

            "Right then, I suppose this must be a bad time…but I really need to see her."

            "For what?" Joyce snapped.  He leaned back slightly.

            "Didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition.  Then again," he seemed to consider his words, "No one really expects the Spanish Inquisition-"

            "Let me guess.  You're her 'tutor'.  Need to spend time alone in her bedroom with the door closed."

            "No.  Actually I just need my book.  She needed it for English Literature class, and the librarian suggested she get it from me.  Maybe you know him…Rupert Giles?"  Spike smirked inwardly as the magic name took effect.  The Slayer's mother did a full 180.  She smiled brightly.

            "Oh, you know Mr. Giles?"

            "Family friend." Spike lied quickly with a friendly smile in return.

            "Oh, well, come in, and we can see what we can do about getting your book back."  Spike's smiled widened by about a foot as he stepped across the threshold into the Slayer's house.

            Joyce led the way into the kitchen and opened a cabinet.

            "Would you like some cocoa?"

            "Love it."  He plopped down on one of the stools by the counter, happy to get his weight off his weak legs.

            "I don't think Buffy has ever mentioned you…?"

            "William.  No, we really don't know each other very well.  Just through good old Rupert."  Joyce set a steaming mug before him.

            "Not to impose…but do you have any of those little marshmallows?"

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PRESENT TIME

            Spike was using Buffy to support himself, but he could feel the power returning to his body with every mouthful of her blood.  Slayer's blood…worked like a charm.  So delicious, much tastier than run-of-the-mill human blood.  Other vampires really didn't know what they were missing.  Of course, it took something special, something…powerful, to get a taste of Slayer blood.  And he had the right stuff.  Angelus could never kill the Slayer.  Did anyone wonder why he always just toyed with her?  Cause he didn't have the stones to kill her! That's why!

            The Slayer was getting limper and limper, and he was forced to hold her body up.  He marveled at the sudden return of his strength.  He would have liked to laugh out loud, but his mouth was otherwise occupied.  She was almost dead, almost gone.  Number 3 for the Big Bad.  Then something hit him.  He didn't want to kill her.  _Of course I want to kill her!_ He shouted silently.  This was the Slayer! His entire existence was centered around his killing girls like her!  But they hadn't been like her before, a sly little voice whispered in his ear, none of them were so pretty.  So strong.  None of them had her fire, her passion.  _That doesn't matter, she dies now!_  But she wasn't dying.  He couldn't bring himself to drink that last drop of her blood.

            "This is bollocks!" He said aloud, raising his head from her neck, blood still dripping from his mouth.  What was wrong with this picture?

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Review please! What do you think? Yes, no, maybe so?


	2. Chapter 2

Turning the Tables

Part 2

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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            After lunch, Willow entered the library carrying a big pile of school books, and inhaled deeply.  She loved the smell of the library.  Everyone thought Giles was crazy with his "smell of knowledge" thing, but she knew just what he was saying.  Not that she would ever tell Xander or Buffy.  They would make fun of her till kingdom come.

            "Giles?" She called.  The library was still for another moment, but then Giles emerged from his office.  He looked terrible.  His hair was mess, and there were bags under his eyes.

            "How are you?" She asked gently.

            "I'm holding up," he told her with a weak smile.  It was a lie, and Willow could tell.  He wasn't holding up, he was just about to fall apart.  But she didn't say anything.  It was too soon.  Ms. Calendar…

            "Has Buffy come in today?" She asked, piling the books onto the counter.

            "You haven't seen her?" He sounded concerned.  Willow guessed that was a good thing.  He still had the ability to care about the world around him.

            "No, but she's probably just been missing us.  Or sick, or something."  She tried not to worry him, but it was too late.

            "What if something has happened to her?  What if Angel-" He broke off with a shudder.

            "I'm sure she's fine.  We can go to her house and see if she's there, okay?"  Giles nodded, but he still seemed uneasy.  Willow wished she could soothe his nerves, but she would by lying if she said she didn't feel a bit of them herself.

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LATER

            After school that day, Willow, Xander and Giles all made their way to the Summers home on Revello Drive.  They reached the cheery little house and rang the doorbell.  They all felt uneasy standing huddled on the front porch.  Buffy hadn't shown up all day, and Giles had checked in the office.  No one had called her in sick.  The door swung open, and Mrs. Summers looked quizzically at them.

            "Hello?"

            "Good morning Mrs. Summers, we just stopped by to see Buffy."

            "Buffy?  She's not here."  Joyce looked at them strangely. "Why?"

            "I'm afraid we may have to talk Joyce."  They all knew something was up when Giles switched to first names, "You see, Buffy never showed up at school today."  Joyce looked distinctly worried, and ushered them in.  They followed her into the kitchen where they all sat around the table.

            "Where could she be?  Not at school?  Skipping classes?" She wrung her hands worriedly.

            "Joyce, when did you last see Buffy?  This morning?"

            "No…when I went to check on her she wasn't there.  I assumed she'd already gone off to school.  No, I last saw her around, six yesterday.  The last person to see her was probably that nice young man."  Willow and Xander exchanged worried looks.  Mrs. Summers knew that Angel was bad news…who else would have come to see Buffy?  
            "Nice young man?  Can you describe him for me?" Giles asked, heart pounding.  Joyce looked to the ceiling thoughtfully.

            "He was about 5' 10"…very pale, slicked back hair, white blonde…blue eyes…and he wore a long black coat.  Name was William."  Giles felt his whole body lose it's energy.  Spike.  Spike had been alone with Buffy.  And now she was gone.  It was just too horrible a coincidence to be unconnected.  She was dead.  His Slayer, his Buffy…she was dead.  Joyce noticed the despair on Giles' face and looked alarmed.

            "What's wrong?  Was there something about William?"

            "William," Giles struggled to speak.  How could he do this? How could he tell this poor, innocent woman her daughter was dead?  She didn't know anything…she didn't expect Buffy to have a short life…"He's, he's, he's a very…disturbed…man…"  Willow bit her lip to hold back tears.  She had worked it out too.  Her best friend…her very best girl friend…gone…forever…

            "Disturbed? Like what?  What do you mean? WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?!" Joyce descended quickly into anger.  This was getting ridiculous! Whispers, stutters, this wasn't making any sense!  Disturbed? Where was Buffy?!

            "She's…dead." Giles whispered.  Joyce fell back as if she had been hit with a wrecking ball.

            "Dead? No, no, you're not serious, she can't be dead!"  Xander was biting his fist in an attempt to keep himself composed.  Buffy…poor poor Buffy…dead…Spike killed her…he actually killed her…

            "I would never joke about such a thing.  Buffy was so important to all of us…" He trailed off, overcome.

            "I don't believe this! Buffy is not dead! I refuse to-"

            "Open your eyes!" Giles bellowed, terrifying everyone in the room.  He took a deep breath and composed himself, "I'm sorry.  Buffy may or may not have told you Joyce, but I lost a woman who was very very dear to me just yesterday.  I would like nothing more than to believe Buffy is alive and well.  But I can't.  She's gone."

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LATER

            Willow and Xander had wordlessly accepted Giles' offer of rides home.  They had ridden in silence, each privately dealing with the loss of their best friend.  They stopped in front of Xander's house, and Giles turned to both of them.

            "Much as I hate to think like this, it is my duty as Watcher and adult.  Buffy's body is missing.  Spike must have taken it with him, and there is no end to the sick tricks he could play on us now.  I want you both to be warned.  We do not know where…or how…the body might turn up."  Willow shuddered and looked away.  Xander placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

            "Do you have to call her that?" She asked Giles, clearly restraining tears, "'The body'?  Like she was never Buffy?"

            "Referring to something that is no longer Buffy as Buffy," Giles met her eyes when she turned back, and Willow saw the deep pain there.  First Ms. Calendar, now Buffy.  Giles had lost what meant the most to him, "Will only make it harder."

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THAT NIGHT

            Joyce sat in the brightly-lit living room.  _The Cosby Show_ was playing cheerily, and Joyce could barely stand to watch it.  Such happiness and light-heartedness.  How dare that sitcom family laugh while she grieved?  It was stupid, it was immature, she didn't care.  She was offended that someone in this world would be happy when she was feeling such crushing pain.  All day she had hoped and hoped that Buffy might appear miraculously on her doorstep, apologizing for worrying her.  But Buffy did not come.  And she had to resign herself to the fact Buffy was not coming back.  Buffy would never come back.

            The doorbell rang out merrily and Joyce hefted herself off the couch and staggered to the door.  She opened it and her hand flew to her mouth.  Tears ran freely now.  _Oh god…_was her only thought.  A little paler, eyes a little deader, but still the same beautiful girl.

            "Hey mom.  Can I come in?"

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Bum-bum-bum!


	3. Chapter 3

Turning the Tables

Part 3

Disclaimer: Nada es de mi

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ONE NIGHT AGO

            Buffy lay serenely on the top of a dusty coffin inside one of Sunnydale's large creepy crypts.  Her cheeks held a gentle, pallid glow and her lips looked all the more rosy and lovely in comparison.  The only thing that marred her gorgeous state of silence was the two fang-holes on the side of her neck.  She lay quietly, to all viewers, sleeping the sleep of the dead.

            Then her eyes open and glowed a dangerous yellow.  Her face contorted into a vampire's demonic mask.

            "Bravo," said a familiar voice from behind her, "Slayer's really do wake up quick."  Buffy whipped around to see Spike nonchalantly taking a drag on a cigarette.

            "You…you changed me…" She whispered, remembering.  Spike.  Her enemy.  Her murderer.  Her sire.

            "Yeah, what of it?"

            "Why?" The former-Slayer asked simply.  _I thought you killed girls like me Spike…why didn't you finish the job?_

            "Does it matter?" He shot her a "Spike look"…complete with eyebrows.  She realized with a jolt that all desire she had ever had to hurt him was gone.  She wanted to be near him…but not in battle…she wanted to feel his absence of heat, for lack of a better and less corny description.

            "I just wondered," Buffy replied, hanging her head almost shyly.  A tiny part of her brain was screaming at her to stake him, stake him quick and stake him proper.  But a larger portion was urging her to tackle him, smell his scent and taste him.

            "Maybe because you're gorgeous.  Maybe because I seem to be losing my marbles.  Maybe because your hair is so wonderful and sexy…"  He stepped closer and brought a hand full of hair up to his nose and inhaled deeply.  She smelled so wonderful.  To his surprise, Buffy stepped even closer and buried her face in his chest, mirroring his sniffing.

            "You smell good," She murmured.

            "So do you," he informed her, moving his head closer.  She tilted her face up and their lips met hungrily.  Buffy saw instantly that, in this family, the apple didn't fall far from the tree.  Spike excited her just as Angel once had, more so.  Angel.  She discovered she no longer felt anything at his name.  Not pain, not affection, not guilt.  No guilt.  That was lovely feeling.  When she and her new vampire paramour parted, she gave him a coy smile.

            "Do all vampire families have such incestuous relationships…or is it just ours?"  Spike felt a thrill when she referred to his line as her own.  This Slayer was his now.

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PRESENT MORNING

            Giles dragged himself to the library.  He had wanted nothing more than to just stay in bed, and wake up from this nightmare.  He unlocked the door wearily and stepped inside.  He was fully awakened rather abruptly when he noticed Joyce Summers duct taped to chair on top of one of the tables.

            "Good lord!" He exclaimed and rushed over to help her.  Another strip of tape sealed her mouth shut, and he apologized profusely before ripping it off.  Her lips were red and raw and she struggled to talk.

            "Buffy…Buffy…"

            "She's dead, Joyce."

            "No…" her voice rasped and she coughed loudly, "I…saw her…"  Giles' eyes widened and he jumped down to fetch a glass of water from his office.  He gave in to her and busied himself with cutting through the rest of her bonds while she drank.

            "She was here Rupert…she came home."  Joyce's eyes were filled with tears, only partially from the skin being separated from her body as the duct tape released her.

            "Tell me everything," he grasped her arm and helped her down from the table.  She nodded and something fluttered off her lap when she stood.  Giles made a mental note to retrieve it later.

            "I was watching television, and the doorbell rang.  I opened the door, and there she was! It was Buffy and she asked me if she could come in.  But someone hit me from behind and I was knocked out.  When I came to, I was in here.  Oh, I'm sure whoever got me went after Buffy too! Oh dear, my poor poor…"  Giles tuned out the hysterical woman and knelt to pick up whatever had fallen earlier.  Something didn't quite add up.  Buffy just appeared.  If Joyce was attacked from behind, wouldn't Buffy have seen the assailant and warned her mother?  He looked down at what was in his hands.  It was an envelope.  It read, in what appeared to be Buffy's loopy scrawl: To Giles He opened it and quickly read the contents.

            Dear Giles

Since you're reading this, you must have found Mom.  Had to get your attention somehow.  Stroke of genius, wasn't it?  Distracting her so that he could get her?  Hoping she's not dead…would kinda spoil my fun.  But he's pretty good at the death and pain thing, so probably not. Well, I have busyness to attend to, but say hi to everyone for me.

~Buffy J

Ps: Tell Xander I'll be seeing him…soon as the sun goes down

Giles swallowed hard.  He had thought yesterday that his world couldn't get any darker.  Now it had, exponentially.  Buffy was dead.  Undead.  His Slayer…was a vampire.

            "Do you think she's all right, Rupert?" Joyce asked tearfully.  He turned slowly, in a state of shock.

            "Joyce, there are some things I need to tell you about Sunnydale.  About Buffy."

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THAT NIGHT

            Xander sat tensely in his room, listening to dishes clattering below him.  'I'll be seeing him…soon as the sun goes down.'  Buffy was after him.  Buffy who was now really the vampire Slayer.  There were a thousand great jokes that could be told from that.  But none of them seemed funny anymore.  Not now that it was true.  His best friend was an evil immortal who, apparently, had it in for him.  And there was nothing he could do but sit and wait.  He had warned his parents not to invite anybody in, especially not any pretty blonde girls.  His dad had laughed and clapped a hand on his shoulder, muttering something to him about how his boy was getting around.  They had broke out the wine earlier tonight.  So there were no guarantees.  So Xander sat in the middle of a circle of crosses, clutching a bottle of holy water tightly.  Giles was busy researching if such a thing had ever happened before, a Slayer being turned.  There were no reported instances so far…it looked like Buffy was once again one of a kind.  Two days ago, he would have been helping Buffy load up her bag-o-weapons for patrol about now.   The sun was just set.  It was showtime.

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LATER

            Willow lay on her bed, pretending to read.  She had come up to her room with every intent of reading her new physics text, but her eyes simply refused to focus on the page.  It was all a blur.  Xander was in danger.  She should be helping Giles research, or protecting him, or something!  Instead, he sent her home.  He said that the shock was too much for her to handle other responsibilities.  He was wrong!  The shock made her need other responsibilities!  Anything to keep her from thinking these thoughts.  Buffy.  It was bad enough that she was dead.  But the Hellmouth couldn't do anything just halfway, could it?  It wasn't enough they lost Buffy…now they had to kill the thing that looked like her.

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            Downstairs, Sheila Rosenberg was reading a fascinating book on communicating with teenagers.  The doorbell rang, and she reluctantly rose and opened the door.

            "Oh, hello Bunny.  Won't you come in?"

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Please review! Reviews make the world go 'round!


	4. Chapter 4

Turning the Tables

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: As I love to say…if I owned it, you'd be watching this on TV.

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EARLIER THAT NIGHT

            Buffy bounced happily down Sunnydale's Main Street, swinging the hand clasped around Spike's back and forth.  She got odd looks from some of the other pedestrians, but she just looked like a teenager happy to be out with her punk boyfriend.  Not the evil undead looking for someone to eat.

            "I'm soooo hungry," she moaned, leaning against Spike and pouting.  He rubbed her shoulder.

            "Well, let's find something good for you."

            "How about those nasty cheerleaders who treated me like a freak?" Her eyes flashed gold with anticipation.

            "You are a freak, luv," Spike reminded her, "A very cute freak." He amended when she punched his arm indignantly.  He was still high off her blood, and euphoric that everything was working out so well.  When he realized he couldn't finish off her blood, he had worried he had lost his edge.  But now, it seemed he was more diabolical than he himself had known.  A Slayer/vampire…never had anyone heard of such a twisted thing.  And he had been the first to do it.  Pride flooded him and he grinned toothily at the people passing.

            "But what about them?" Buffy asked, yanking on the same arm.

            "Hey, I need to use this thing later on.  And no, not tonight.  You need to learn the thrill of killing for pleasure.  Revenge is all well and good, and it can be bloody enjoyable.  But to be the naughty little vampire I know you can be, you have to start out with random killing."  Buffy shrugged agreeably and began scanning the street for a treat.

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PRESENT NIGHT

            "I'm bored."  Buffy sighed deeply.  She sat on Spike's lap, playfully mussing his hair, while they waiting in the crypt.

            "It was your idea," he reminded her and she scowled.

            "You didn't tell me it was gonna take so long."

            "But didn't you have fun?"  Buffy pretended to consider this for a moment before grinning wickedly.

            "Yeah, I had fun.  But it wasn't the best fun of the night," she licked her lips suggestively.  Spike shot her a sexy smirk of his own and Buffy went back to playing with his hair.  They sat in silence for a few moments before Buffy spoke again.

            "I want a new name."

            "Hmm?"

            "I don't wanna be Buffy anymore.  It's not…threatening enough.  I wanna strike fear into my enemy's hearts!  Like you.  I mean, 'William' isn't striking any fear at all…so you change it."  Spike winced at her use of his true name then shrugged.

            "What kind of name were you thinking of?"

            "Something dangerous…and easy to remember…what about…Cross!"  Buffy's brainstorm hit her and she smiled, very pleased with herself.

            "Cross?  Fearsome enough I suppose…doesn't lend itself well to pillow talk…" Spike trailed off, a hint of mock disappointment in his voice.  Buffy shot him an extremely naughty smile and ceased her caressing to think.

            "Well, you could still call me Buffy when we're…'alone'.  And you can call me sweetheart, and darling, and snuggle bunny-"

            "There's no way in hell I'm going to call you snuggle bunny.  And weren't you busy?" He asked pointedly.  Buffy crossed her arms and tried to look offended.

            "I am not just some kind of toy for you, buddy!  My utmost care is not your sexual pleasure."

            "Oh no?  What is then?" He asked, keeping a perfectly straight face.

            "Mine, of course."  She dropped her façade and allowed him to proceed in attacking her neck.

            A low growl came from behind them, and Buffy turned her head to see the red-head had risen, and was slipping out of game-face.

            "I feel very dead," Willow remarked matter-of-factly, examining herself.

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NEXT MORNING

            Angelus stalked through the heavily curtained rooms of his new mansion.  Where was Spike?  When he had finished with Drusilla, he was gone.

            "This is ridiculous!" He growled and smashed one of the priceless statues, "It's not like he could just get up and walk away!"  A low chuckle from behind made him turn.  Dru was lying on top of one of the antique tables laughing.

            "Ooh…ooh…our William has been a naughty, naughty boy, daddy." Grinning, Angelus walked over and rested his hands on the table.

            "What do you see?"

            "Naughty, naughty William…must be punished.  We'll have to send him to bed with no supper, Miss Edith says we will…"  Even more interested, he coaxed her to share more.

            "He chases her…and she stops running…bad William…such a bad boy…" Drusilla gave a little gasp and put her hand over her mouth with a wicked smile, "So so naughty…no cakes for William…he mustn't…but he does…yes he does…"

            "What did Spike do?" Angelus urged, fascinated.  Dru looked at him for the first time since she started talking, then sat up slowly and raised a finger to her mouth.

            "Shhhh…it's a secret…"

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AT SCHOOL

            Xander yawned widely as he walked into the library.  He had been up all night, keeping watch for Buffy.  But she'd never showed up.  It was a blessing, he knew, but part of him had been wanting to see her.  He really didn't want to believe Buffy was truly dead.

            "Giles?"  No answer.  He walked over to desk where a simple sign was posted: THE LIBRARIAN IS NOT IN

            "Great…"  Wandering into Giles' office, he switched on the radio used generally to hear the weather forecast.  Xander spun the dial, but stopped when he heard Willow's street mentioned.

            "-police investigated, and discovered Ira and Sheila Rosenberg dead in the front room.  Their daughter, Willow Rosenberg, has not been found.  Any information regarding this cold-blooded murder would be-" Numbly, he turned off the radio.  More death.  Willow was...gone.  Her parents were dead.  And he didn't even need three guesses to figure out who was guilty.

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THAT AFTERNOON

            "And so then, he totally started bleeding everywhere, and I nearly got my outfit all gross, but I thought fast and started licking it before it could get to my sweater, cause I really like that sweater, and-"  Buffy stopped her animated storytelling to glare at Spike, who snorted, "What?"

            "Nothing, pet.  Go on."

            "I'm bored." Willow said looking plaintively at Spike.  She hadn't changed her voice tone more than twice the entire day, "And I'm hungry."

            "We still have a couple hours till sunset," Buffy said and stretched languidly, "This part of being a vampire totally sucks."

            "We could check Willy's.  I know the sewers to take, and we can buy a drink or ten…maybe even threaten them out of him."

            "Sounds fun! I've always wondered what it would be like to actually buy something at Willy's."

            "Better than sitting here." Willow said, lips twisting slightly.

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WILLY'S PLACE

            Buffy allowed Spike to hoist her out of the sewer entrance into the bar.  Willow came next, then he pulled himself up.  Putting an arm around each of them, he steered them over to the counter.  Willy was polishing glasses and looked up.

            "What can I get-whoa.  Slayer? What're ya doin' here? And with-"

            "My girls want drinks.  You got a problem with that?" Spike growled demonstratively of what might happen if Willy did have a problem with that.

            "Nope, no problems here.  What'll it be then?"

            "Martini on the rocks.  Just a spritz of blood." Willow told him.

            "I'll have what she's having." Buffy said with a smile.

            "Gimme the strongest whiskey you've got." Spike said with a smirk.  Once Willy left shakily to get the drinks, Buffy squirmed under Spike's arm.

            "I feel like you're a pimp or Hugh Hefner, or something."

            "Just cause I like to show affection to my ladies?" Spike asked, looking insulted.  Willow leaned over and ran her tongue slowly up his cheek.

            "I don't mind." She flashed him her best sexy smile.  Buffy sniffed.  Not to be outdone, she snuggled closer to bite his ear.

            "I didn't say I minded."  Appeased, Spike tightened his grip on both girls.  Why hadn't he done this sooner?

            "Now, about being your ladies…" Buffy said, coyly curling a strand of his hair.  Spike shot her a sideways look.

            "Something about your voice tells me I'm not going to like this plan."

            "Well, we have to keep up your reputation…appearance can be key to an impression…"

            "No. No way, luv, that is not happening! There is nothing in all bleeding hell that would convince me to take you two shopping!"

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R+R+R+R+R!!!!


	5. Chapter 5

Turning the Tables

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: It's all Joss.

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            "I can't believe this.  If anyone, ANYONE, saw me…" Spike moaned with unhappiness.  It was so unfair!  They cheated, they didn't play fair!

            "Quit your whining.  It's just the mall," Buffy rolled her eyes and shoved another load of fishnet and leather into his arms.  They had had no trouble breaking in after dark, and as it turned out, all the anti-shoplifting devices turned off when the lights did.  That was stupid.  She held up a thick silver chain that had a cross with a serpent wrapped around it dangling off the end up to her neck.

            "Can't wear that love…vampire, remember?"

            "Well, if my new vamp-name is gonna be 'Cross', I should wear at least one, shouldn't I?  As long as it doesn't touch my skin directly, I'll be fine."  She wrapped it carefully in a skanky leather bodice and handed the items to him.

            "Who would have thought Sunnydale would be home to 'The Leather Shop' AND 'Simply Goth'?" Spike muttered grumpily.

            "Well, with all those vamp worshippers down at Sunset Club, I'm not surprised.  Wait here, I'm gonna try this on." She took about half the clothing out of his grasp.

            "Sure you don't need my help?" He asked hopefully.  Buffy wagged a finger at him.

            "No kinky dressing room sex.  We're in a rush."  She strode off with an armful of clothes.  After a few moments, Willow returned.  The change was dramatic.  Spike started at the ground and worked his way up.  Violently red spike heels…the tightest leather pants he had probably ever seen with a scarlet scarf with spider web pattern tied around her waist…a deliciously "artfully torn" leather bodice, not unlike the one Buffy had been eyeing earlier.  While this bodice reached her waist, it made up for it in barely reaching the top half of her torso.  Paired with two elbow-length fingerless fishnet gloves and red choker with black pentacles dangling off it, the shy science nerd looked very much bondage queen.

            "You like?" She asked, not really needing him to tell her the answer.  A gurgle and open-mouthed ogling was Spike's response.

            "What's with the…ooh Will, sexy." Buffy had returned.  Spike, who had been concentrating on regaining the ability to speak coherently looked at his first "childe" and lost it all over again.  A sexy dresser by human standards already, she had carefully balanced her outfit.  The skirt she wore, which resembled a red leather band-aid was contrasted by a modest off-the-shoulder charcoal peasant blouse patterned with dusty red swirls.  She wore a collection of silver chains around her neck, including her beloved serpent-cross, safely on top of fabric, some studded wrist bands, plus a pair of onyx cross earrings that dangled at the perfect length, not long enough to hit her face when she turned, but still were too long to hit her ear lobes

            "So?" She spun around in front of Spike, who looked very close to drooling, "Ooh, we're all color coded! Maybe we should have strip tease when we get back…"

            "Buffy…" he finally managed to form words, "You two are a strip tease.  And what's with the star-things Red?"

            "Well, if Buffy, Cross, gets a vamp-name, I want one too.  I always like Miss Calendar's pagan sites.  I'll delve into the black arts now.  You can call me 'Pentacle' when we're out."

            "Pentacle…I like it! Doesn't it sound cool together, Cross and Pentacle? It's so cool!" Buffy squealed happily.  Spike sniffed.

            "Oh, so now you two are just leaving me out of the group?"

            "Come on Spike, you're on a different level.  It's like…you're the master vamp, and we're your evil sex-toy minions."  She leaned over to give Willow a rather wet kiss, "It's nice kinky group dynamics."

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NEXT MORNING

            When Giles came to the library next morning, he found Xander, asleep standing up with his head on the counter.

            "Xander?" He asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

            "Not the stake!" He shouted with a jump, then realized where he was, "Oh…morning Giles."  He wondered for a moment why he was in the library, then he remembered in a flood of thoughts.  Buffy.  Willow.

            "What are you doing in here?" Giles asked curiously, placing his briefcase on the floor and taking off his jacket.

            "I was waiting…I hoped Willow might come in."

            "Willow?  Why would she be here?  I would assume she's at home with her family."

            "She's not.  They're dead."  Giles stopped dead in the act of unpacking his file folders.

            "They're what?"  
            "Dead.  It was on the news yesterday.  Her parents were found dead, and Willow was missing."

            "Buffy."

            "Yeah…guess she wasn't so interested in me after all, huh?" Xander tried to joke, but his voice was a shade higher than usual, and his eyes were shining with tears.

            "What are we going to do?  First Angel, then Buffy, and now Willow.  Our allies are disappearing quickly.  Our friends are…turning…"

            They both managed to get to a table and fell heavily into chairs.

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LATER

            Joyce was still in a state of shock.  Vampires were real.  Her daughter killed them.  Was killed by one.  Was one.  All the things she had tried to look away from, forget, repress, were coming back to her.  William, "Spike" as Giles had told her he was now called, she should have recognized him.  He had attacked the school.  She herself hit him with an ax.  But she invited him in.  And Angel…Buffy hadn't been lying when she said he had 'changed'.  It was just so much to deal with…so much to take on faith.  But it all fit together, all made sense.  Thinking about it…Buffy had mentioned it once.  She had asked what she cared about besides clothes and boys.  And Buffy had said "Saving the world from vampires".  She had just thought she was joking.  But she was telling the truth.

            Plus, she had heard the phone call Giles made to the Council.  The new Slayer was called, and they would send her, and one of their top Watchers to Sunnydale, to help them.  Help them kill Buffy.  It was so hard to accept.  First she had needed to believe Buffy was dead.  Now she had to believe that not only was her daughter gone…a monster was wearing her face, speaking with her voice, being so much like her it was nearly indistinguishable from Buffy Summers.  Except that Buffy wasn't a cold-blooded, sadistic killer who lived off of human blood.

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THAT NIGHT

            The cemetery resounded with the cracking of a neck and Willow/Pentacle sighed.

            "Bored now."

            "Come on Pent," Buffy/Cross was quick to come up with nicknames, "The fun's just starting." She grabbed one of the other cowering humans.  The trio of vampires had happened upon three teen couples who thought the cemetery a romantic and private date.

            "And they came already divided and everything," Spike said, raising his head from one of the girl's necks with a demonic grin.  The bumpy forehead, elongated fangs and blood smearing his mouth gave him a definite nod towards 'demonic'.

            "I'm bored.  They hardly even ran."

            "They were frozen by your beauty, luv," Spike told her.  It wasn't as much fun to hunt when his one of his girls was in a bad mood.  He had never felt before the thrill of hunting in a pack.  Vampires were, as a rule, solitary creatures.  Never traveling in large groups.  Though he had roamed with his vampire "family" before, he hadn't connected to them like he did with Willow and Buffy.

            "Beautiful isn't the word I would use.  'Skanky' more fits the bill, don't ya think?" A cocky female voice sounded from behind them.  The three turned, tossing their snacks aside to see who had spoken.  A young woman stood in front of them, with tussled dark hair and a defiant smirk.

            "I think we've got us a Slayer." Spike said, licking his lips in anticipation.  He hadn't expected a new one so soon.  Buffy tilted her head.

            "She's not as pretty as me…is she?"

            "Never ever, ducks."  Buffy savored that.  She had only ever known Spike to call Drusilla 'ducks'.  Apparently her hold on his heart was loosening, and Buffy's strengthening.

            "Well, hate to break up the tea party girls, but I've got Slaying to do.  In a few minutes, you three can share an ashtray." The Slayer pulled out a stake and rushed towards them.  Buffy mostly evaded her somewhat sloppy and heated jabs.

            "You've got a lot to learn Slayer."

            "And you're supposed to teach me?" She huffed back, taking another wild swing.

            "You'd be learning from the best." Buffy smiled brightly.  Willow and Spike stood on either side, observing silently.  Slayer vs. former Slayer.  It was an interesting fight.

            "Oh yeah?  What's some no-name vamp got to teach the Slayer?"

            "Suppose I am a no-name vamp.  Wasn't always that way, but yeah. You're right. So, should I make a name for myself by killing you?" A few sharp jabs and a roundhouse kick left the new Slayer scrambling back to her feet.  Buffy sighed.

            "This is no fun.  Come back when you can fight.  By the way, name's Cross.  I'd remember it if I were you.  Catch ya." She waved cheerily before backing away alongside Spike and Willow.  The three of them then turned and left the Slayer to her bewilderment.

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Done for now.


	6. Chapter 6

Turning the Tables

Part 6

Author's Note: I'm still referring to Buffy and Willow as such cause last time I had a fic where we changed people's names, everyone got all confused.  It wasn't pretty. So, while other people will call them Cross and Pentacle, I'll still call them Buffy and Will, okies?

Disclaimer: Yes! I own it! I own it all!

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NEXT MORNING

            "She was weak. You could have killed her."  Willow said, aimlessly swinging her legs.  She sat atop a rather decadent coffin in the basement of the crypt they had been using.  Buffy made a noncommittal noise, continuing to filter through the weapons she had found.  Spike pulled cigarette out of his mouth and exhaled with a puff of smoke.

            "Not to gang up on you, sweets, but Pentacle has a point.  That was an easy kill.  You could have bagged a Slayer, and we wouldn't have to worry about her anymore."  Buffy stretched and turned back to them.

            "And another one would be sent.  Let's have fun with this one for a while longer.  She hasn't been trained.  An easy kill, sure.  But a fun one? Uh-uh.  Let Giles toughen her up a bit, then she'll be a Slayer we can brag about."

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LATER

            Giles morosely flipped through the pages of the Watcher's Diaries, not really reading them.  There was nothing here that could help him.  The Council had told him to continue his research, but there was nothing.  No Slayer had ever been changed.  Vampires wanted to destroy the Slayer, not make her one of them.  He had never in his wildest dreams guessed Buffy might be turned.  It just was not done.  But Spike changed all that.  Count on one rebel vampire to ruin everything.  The double doors swung open and Giles turned, expecting to see Xander, possibly Oz or Cordelia.  Last night they had been forced to explain the horrible situation.  Oz was, understandably, particularly shaken.  But the young woman who had entered was one he had never seen before.

            "You Rupert Giles?" She asked, snapping her bubble gum.  He shuddered.

            "Yes, I am.  Who might you be?"  She grinned at him.

            "Well, I might be your new Slayer."

            "Ooh," he scrambled to his feet, "You're here, that's wonderful.  It's very, very nice to meet you, Miss?"

            "Faith.  Just call me Faith." (A/N: Yes, I know Kendra came before Faith, but I don't like Kendra, so just assume she was killed after she left.)

            "Faith, then.  It's a pleasure.  You got here safely, obviously."

            "Pretty much.  I had a bit of a tussle with some vamps last night.  Real cocky ones too."

            "You staked them?"

            "Actually, they just walked away."  Giles frowned and started cleaning his glasses.  That was very odd.  They must have known she was the Slayer, why would they leave?  Unless..

            "Can you describe them to me?  I'm familiar with most of the 'master-vamps'," he felt a twinge of nostalgic sadness at the term Buffy coined, "In Sunnydale."

            "Well, there were three.  Two majorly skanky chicks, blonde and red-head, and some lame-ass punk wannabe with bleached hair."  Giles bit his lip and cleaned with greater fervor.  Buffy.  Willow.  Spike.  Faith noticed his sudden tension and raised her eyebrows.

            "What, are these like, special vamps or something?"  Giles stared at her, innocent, well, at least of what horrors lurked in Sunnydale.  She had faced vampires and demons before of course.  But a vampire so horribly perverse he would change a Slayer?  A Slayer bent on destroying her friends?  It was so much for such a fragile mind to handle.  He made his decision.

            "They're very powerful.  Not to be underestimated."

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THAT AFTERNOON

            Angelus rubbed his temples and growled under his breath.  This was going no where.  All he had managed to get from Drusilla were giggles and whispers about 'naughty William'.  This was not getting him anything interesting and he was tired of it.  Sure, Dru could be fun sometimes.  But her mind found it impossible to just focus.  And he was getting very impatient with her.  He heard Drusilla suddenly moan and turned half-heartedly.  He might as well hear it.

            She crouched down to the ground and hugged her knees to her chest.

            "Oh, William…my poor William…"

            "What now, Drusilla?"

            "He turns to ashes…she burns him, oh he burns…"

            "Who burns him?  Give me something to work with Drusilla!"

            "Can't say…she'll come…can't tell Daddy, can't tell him…she'd burn Miss Edith, the stars tell me so…"

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SUNSET

            Xander gasped for air and paused to pant.  _Great ideas Giles, send me with Faith.  I can watch over her…if I can keep up with her!_  She had just disappeared.  Damn Slayer stamina!  Scanning the horizon, he tried to figure out where she had gone to.  With no hints as to what direction Faith had headed, Xander glumly decided to try the most high-traffic cemetery.  Slayers liked to go where the vampires were, right?

*~*  
  


            He shivered and pulled out a stake to make himself feel safer.  It was fully dark now.  No sun.  Perfect vampire weather.  Passing numerous headstones, he wondered why he hadn't run into Faith yet.  It had been at least an hour he'd been looking for her.  Shouldn't some of that handy Slayer-sense be kicking in now that someone needed her help?

            "Faith, I need some help," he sighed out loud in exasperation.  He heard giggling behind him and froze.  Not good.  Giggling in a cemetery.  After dark. With him all alone and Slayerless.  Not good not good not good.  He turned around slowly, hoping not to work up whoever was giggling.

            "Oh, you need lots of help, Xand.  But you're not getting it from Faith," Buffy said with a sunny smile.  Xander choked, first at seeing his two best friends in those skanky, horrible, sexy _bad Xander! Not sexy! Not sexy!_ outfits.  Again at seeing them hanging off each other.

            "Buffy? Will?"

            "Doesn't ring a bell.  You must have the wrong number." Willow said seriously.  She then leaned over and whispered something in Buffy's ear.  Well, part of it was whispering.  There was definitely some kissing and licking going on.  Buffy giggled again and whisper/kiss/licked Willow right back.  Xander winced.

            "Come on, you don't even remember that you're both straight?" He asked weakly.

            "They're pretty straight.  They just get bored when I'm not around."  _Great, just great_, Xander cursed his luck when he heard Spike behind him and the vampire's hand curled gently over his exposed neck.  Buffy blew him a kiss.

            "Let us have this one?  Please?"

            "I dunno…he looks pretty tasty," Spike teased, pretending to ponder the matter.  Buffy bounced up and down unhappily.

            "No…I want him.  Please, Spike?  Pleeeease????"  Spike smiled and loosened his grip slightly.

            "Bored now."  Willow lay her head down on Buffy's shoulder and pouted.  Buffy started to comment but paused to sniff.  She smelt something.  She remembered smelling it before, and instinct told her to recognize it.  _Slayer_.  Buffy quickly searched for the source of the Slayer-smell and spotted her, seconds before the tip of a stake protruded from Spike's chest.

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AT THE SUMMERS'

            Joyce shivered and took a long drink from her steaming cup of tea.  She really wasn't feeling very well…maybe she was coming down with something.  Then again, it could just be the added stress.  Everywhere she looked, she saw monsters.  Afraid to go anywhere after dark, now she knew vampires were lurking in the shadows, ready to spring out at her.  And now people who had just seemed strange before were evil.  She was pretty sure a few of her neighbors were instruments of the darkness.

            The doorbell rang, and Joyce jumped, spilling tea on her lap.  She sighed and grabbed a dish towel on her way to answer the door.  She opened it to see Cordelia, one of Buffy's friends.  Well, Buffy had mentioned her at least.  She looked very worried.

            "Hey, Mrs. Summers.  Can I come in?"  Joyce narrowed her eyes and backed away.

            "Oh no.  You aren't going to get me like that.  I know what you are and what you're up to.  I'm not going to invite you." 

            "Mrs. Summers, I think Xander is in trouble!  I can't find him anywhere, and he was out helping the new Slayer and I'm confused." Cordelia ranted, getting fairly teary, "And I'm not dead!"  When Joyce didn't answer, Cordelia rolled her eyes and walked in.  Joyce breathed a sigh of relief, and apologized profusely for not believing she was still human.  But Xander…he was such a sweet boy!  Then again…Willow had been the sweetest girl.

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THE CEMETERY

            Buffy and Willow shrieked impulsively, and Spike looked down at the point of wood coming out of him.  Xander quickly dove out of the way.

            "Two things.  You are the worst aim I've bloody well ever seen," he whipped around and punched Faith full in the face, "And you stake like a girl."  Buffy clapped excitedly and a ghost of a smile haunted Willow's face.  Spike grabbed the struggling Slayer by the hair and pulled her up, examining her neck hungrily.

            "Gonna play." Willow said happily.  She started forward, but a red-faced Giles sprang out of nowhere and shoved a cross full in her face.  She hissed and tried to maneuver around him, but he managed to get an arm around her neck and held the cross millimeters from her cheek.  She whimpered and Buffy cried out.

            "Let Faith go," Giles growled from between clenched teeth.  Spike tightened his grip and glowered at the Watcher.

            "Let Pentacle go." He slid into game face fueled by fury.

            "I will release her as soon as you release Faith."

            "I'll kill your Slayer!" Spike was getting extremely hot and bothered now.  But Giles stayed calm and cool.

            "Then I'll kill your lover."  Buffy resisted the urge to wail in unhappiness.  Seeing Pentacle…Willow…so close to a cross.  It hurt.

            "Spike…trade with him."

            "But luv,"

            "Just do it!"  Tears were welling up in Buffy's eyes.  Spike saw at once she was serious and walked forward, dragging Faith along with him.  She tried to fight him off, but he just yanked on her hair.  He stopped a few feet from Giles, eyes burning.

            "Take her," he shoved Faith toward Rupert who carefully backed away, cross still next to Willow's face.  Faith growled under her breath, but Giles pushed her back.  Once they were a safe distance from Buffy and Spike, he pulled the cross away and held it protectively in front of him while Willow angrily stalked back to her lovers.

            "You'll pay for that," Buffy said, eyes narrowed to slits.

            "You're just a stupid old man," Willow spat, while Spike rubbed the place where the cross almost touched with concern, "I can't believe I ever thought I could learn something from you.  You have nothing you can teach me."

            "That's true," Giles said slowly, backing away still, "There was a world of things I could have taught Willow, but there's nothing I can teach you…"

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Thanks for the reviews so far folks…review again now! Show the love!  Remember suggestions are always welcome!


	7. Chapter 7

Turning the Tables

Part 7

I thank you all for reviews, but most especially to Miss Lesley for her REEEEEAAAAAAALLLLYYYYY long and helpful review! Someone actually believed I wanted suggestions!  I got lots of insight, and I pretty much stole everything she suggested so…muchissimas gracias a tu *awesome reviewer cookies to Miss Lesley*

Disclaimer: Spike is mine.  You can have the rest, but let me have Spike.

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LATER THAT NIGHT

            "I don't know what you're so tense about, we're all fine," Buffy said, crossing her arms while Spike paced aggressively back and forth through the crypt.

            "Barely!  I got staked, and poor Pentacle nearly burned," he growled angrily, "This is all my fault.  I just let you two wander around and didn't pay close attention.  I bloody well nearly got both of you killed!  Like it or not, you're my childe, so is Pentacle.  It's about time I took responsibility for you.  I'm your sire, it's my job to teach you two how to be vampires."

            "We know how to be vampires," Buffy sniffed, insulted.  Spike was making such a big deal over one little rough encounter.  Sure, she had been terrified out of her mind.  She had struggled to breathe…until remembering that she didn't.  But it was over.  Over and done, so she would get over it.

            "Not really.  You can hold your own in a fight at least, but Pentacle's got nothing."

            "I do not have nothing," Willow chimed in, "I have my majicks."

            "Sort of.  You can float small objects for short periods of time.  That doesn't make you dark sorceress of the millennia, pet."  Willow scowled and looked away sulkily.  Spike sharply inhaled, despite his lack of use for oxygen.  Still a habit after over a century.  There had to be something he could do.  How could he protect his girls?  Better yet, teach them to protect themselves.  His lips suddenly curled upwards. _Now that's what I'm talking about…_

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DAWN

            The three vampires sat in the crypt.  The atmosphere was still very tense after Spike's ranting earlier.  Buffy and Willow had not taken very kindly to being called helpless.  But he had a plan apparently.  He had ran off before the sun rose to 'make a call'.  Neither of them were sure what their sire had in store, but whatever it was, it was bound to be interesting.

            Turns out, 'interesting' was an understatement.  From an unseen fire, smoke began to curl.  Buffy scowled at it.  Was smoke usually purple?  The smoke billowed and soon was a large mass in the center of the underground room.  Willow and Buffy backed away slowly, growling quietly; but Spike grinned and stepped forward.  The smoke continued to build until it all disappeared and standing there was…

            "Willy! How are you!?  I was just ecstatic you called, ecstatic!"  An abnormally tall and thin woman with a loud, grating voice embraced Spike roughly.  She was at least two heads taller than he was.

            "Doing fine pet, glad you could make it on short notice," he drew back and noticed Buffy and Willow gaping at him, "Don't think you've met my new girls.  Cross and Pentacle, this is Ch'a'arl K' Koi.  Charlie, this is Cross and Pentacle."  'Charlie' stepped forward and held out a hand.  Her fingers were very long and tapered, and her skin had a green sheen to it.

            "Pleasure, I'm sure," she shook each cool hand in turn.  Buffy got the distinct impression she was shaking a dried piece of seaweed.  She surveyed the woman who had arrived so dramatically and had dared to hug her mate.  Her features were long and appeared stretched, when not moving them, her arms fell limply back at her side.  Her body looked very fragile, and she wore a simple violet smock.  Adding up the height, skin texture, greenness, and oddly pupilless eyes, Buffy deduced Ch'a'arl K' Koi was not human.  Originally, or presently.

            "What are you?" She asked suspiciously, not wasting time being subtle.  Charlie laughed, a sound reminiscent of clattering coins.

            "Well, I'm an old friend of Willy here, a shaman, and here to help, so you can stop glaring at me, hon."

            Buffy twisted her nose up but Willow was cautiously interested.

            "A shaman?" she asked slowly.  Charlie turned to give her a very wide grin.

            "That's right sugar plum.  And I'm assuming it's you I'm here to help out."

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NIGHT

            Buffy followed Spike out through the graveyard to a secluded clump of trees near the woods.  Willow and Charlie had been off somewhere all day, but Spike hadn't been particularly attentive to her.  Actually, he hadn't acknowledged she existed the entire day.  He just sat there and stared at the wall.  And now he was leading her into the trees without giving her any reason or explanation.

            "So," she began, feigning nonchalance, "What's up with Charlie?"

            "Hmm?" He said, obviously not paying attention.  She growled in frustration.

            "Charlie.  Char-lie.  Tall, green and in serious need of moisturizer?"

            "Oh…right.  She owed me a favor, thought she'd be just right to teach Pentacle some black arts."

            "Favor?"

            "Killed her tribe," he replied, pausing to quickly sniff the air and continuing.  Buffy had to start power-walking to keep up with him.

            "That's a favor?"

            "She was wasting all her considerable power on healing and growing and all sorts of namby-pamby good magic rot," he snorted at the memory, "Once the tribe was gone, she got into some deep, dark vengeance stuff and discovered her true talents.  Sort of like you, pet, come to think of it."  Buffy bristled.

            "Me? Like her?"

            "Yeah…spending your time trying to save the world and be the hero, when you have such potential to be wicked."  Her grumpiness at being compared to Charlie evaporated at the compliment and she felt her mood lighten considerably.

            "Where are we going Spike?" She asked after a few more feet through the underbrush.

            "We're going to do some testing, luv."

            "Testing?"  
            "Well, yeah.  Gotta see how much Slayerness my favorite girl still has."  Buffy perked up even further, and discovered she was in a better mood than she had been in a long while.  His favorite girl.  Spike's favorite girl.  Spike liked her best.  Better than Willow, better than Drusilla…she was number one.  And that made her enormously happy.

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It's pretty short, and was a very long time in coming, very sorry, very sorry.  But there was Florida, and there was homework, and writer's block, and I discovered I needed an extra chapter and I have an hour of Angel everyday (I'm watching TNT) so I've been busy.  But I will try very hard to be better.  I will try.


	8. Chapter 8

Turning the Tables

Part 8

Disclaimer: Spike is mine.  You can have the rest, but let me have Spike.

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NEXT NIGHT

            Angelus strode though Sunnydale with a languid, almost cat-like gait.  He needed fresh air, and a fresh snack.  Maybe he would hang around outside the Bronze and wait for some girl to come and try to engage him in a conversation.  The desperate schoolgirl types always tasted good.  He was about to aim himself towards the Bronze when he caught a familiar scent on the wind.  Slayer.  Buffy was near.  He smiled brightly and followed the strong smell of Slayer along the street.  Luck was on his side.  What went better with blood than mental anguish?

            He stopped, closed his eyes to better focus in on the scent and turned down an alley.  He saw a pair of leather pants kicking some serious vampire ass and laughed silently.  She always took out her feelings on poor unsuspecting evil doers.  Pity the fool who got in Buffy's way when she was in a bad mood.  An explosion of dust, and he judged it safe to go antagonize her.  He leaned on a crate, looking deceptively at ease.  He opened his mouth to speak, but the Slayer emerged.  Brunette.  Immediately he did a quick system check, so to speak.  It was Slayer-scent in the air.  He growled low in his throat and when the Slayer turned, he was already in game face.

            "You're not Buffy."

********************************************************************************************

THAT AFTERNOON

            Giles carefully dabbed ointment onto Xander's throat where Spike's grip had left painful red marks.  Cordelia was less than pleased with this new development.

            "Come on!  It's just not enough I'm dating the world's biggest geek is it?  He had to have gross skin deformities too!"

            "It'll clear up soon Cordy.  And I would be thankful your boyfriend wasn't the world's deadest geek right about now.  Why do I always get attacked?  Though, in all fairness to my macho-ness, Spike came up from behind me.  I was distracted by the Buffy-Willow action."

            "Buffy and…Willow?" Oz asked in his usual slow, quiet tone, but they could all hear it.  The pain that haunted pretty much every conversation the Scoobies had had lately.

            "Yeah, apparently it's true vamps want to get on pretty much anything that moves.  Sorry, man." Xander said light-heartedly, but gently.  Oz and Willow had been getting along so well, it had seemed for certain they had a bright future.  So much for that; as always the Hellmouth wrecked absolutely everything.

            "I don't care if they're vampires or not.  Buffy and Willow…that's just wrong."

            "All in favor," Xander shook his head dryly.  Giles scowled at him.

            "If you've quite finished chattering would you be so kind as to hold your head still?"

********************************************************************************************

DAWN

            Buffy wandered into the crypt humming absent-mindedly.  She descended into the opening to the lower level of the crypt.  The sun was rising, and she didn't want to be scorched by any stray rays of sunshine.  _I used to love sunshine_, she thought randomly, _Weird._  When she jumped off the ladder that led down she saw in the darkness that Spike and Willow had already gotten into bed.  Vampires could simulate breath and life while they walked around, but sleeping…there was nothing to distinguish them from average dead bodies.  Everyone had been pretty tired after Charlie left (in a big cloud of purple smoke).  Willow had learned plenty of new magic tricks apparently…and she had worked on her combat skills with Spike.  Turns out she still had some of that old Slayer strength hidden inside her.  Not too much, but enough she could slam Spike into a pine tree if need be.  Of course, she really didn't want to be slamming Spike against any pine trees…not unless it was followed by something naughty, that is.

            "I killed somebody," she told the still forms, stripping out of her clothes.  Willow ignored her, and Spike opened one weary eye.

            "Unless you killed them with sex and you're going to demonstrate, I'm really not interested till later pet."  Buffy pouted.

            "But I found something interesting."

            "Fine then…you obviously aren't coming to bed till you've told us everything." He sat up reluctantly, Willow's face scrunched into a scowl, but she soon sat up as well.  Buffy clapped her hands childishly.  She'd been seemingly regressing to childhood steadily after her turn.  While Willow got cooler and more mature, Buffy was prone to giggling fits.

            "It's something for you Pentacle…"  She held up a hand, a green floppy disk between her fingers.

********************************************************************************************

PREVIOUS NIGHT (After alley)

            Faith slowed and let her breathing rate drop back to normal.  What was with the vamps in this town?  Were they all so damn strong?  He just attacked out of no where.  Growled something about her not being Buffy…great, another vamp with a vendetta against the previous Slayer.  So much for all that extra training…he still managed to slap her stake away.  Then after beating her around a little, he changed his mind and left.  It was all she could do to run.  This was all wrong.  She never had to run from a vamp before…now it was all she was doing!  It must be the Hellmouth…making all the vamps extra strong.  In Boston, she could have whacked these tweeko vamps no problem.  Even the low brow newbie vamps were a tough kill.  Plus the whole 'vampire ignoring the perfectly eatable Slayer right in front of them thing'.  There was something going on in Sunnydale…something she'd never heard of before.

********************************************************************************************

NEXT DAY

            "I dare say this is a fascinating tragedy," Giles said, wiping his glasses.  A janitor had been found dead in the Computer Sciences classroom.  Nothing particularly special; drained of all his blood.  The fascinating part was the symbol carved into his neck.  A pentacle, with a cross behind it.  No such symbol was in any of the books they had searched today.

            "Isn't that a…what's the word?  Hydroidiot?" Xander offered.

            "Oxymoron," Giles corrected him dryly, "I supposed it is.  But the important this is that the absence of information on this strange symbol makes me believe it's, well, a signature of sorts.  Like how serial killers tend to leave calling cards of some kind with their victims."

            "Well isn't that just dandy?  We've got a vampire out for my Cocoa Puffs."

            "That really isn't very funny, Xander, " Giles said, wiping his glasses on his shirt and trying to ignore his migraine.

            "I know…I was just trying to make it…more like the old days," Xander replied quietly, hanging his head slightly.

            "I understand, Xander.  I honestly do.  But…it will never be like it was in the 'old days'. Never."

********************************************************************************************

SUNSET

            Buffy was out stretching her legs.  Willow was working on that marvelous little treat Buffy had found for her, and there wasn't really anything for her to do in the crypt.  Spike was 'supervising'…or something.  Personally, Buffy just thought chicks doing majicks made him hot, but that was just her.  Nothing she had to worry about.  _Cause I'm his favorite!_ She sang to herself, making up a little melody as she went along.  Spike's most favorite of all the girls he'd ever known, he liked Buffy the very best.  Angel had never said anything like that to her.  For all she ever knew, he was pining over Darla.  But Spike made it clear.  She was the best.  Stupid Angel.  She kicked a pinecone viciously and it sailed through the air, shattering the window of a parked car.  Oops.

            She continued along, rubbing her arms self-consciously.  She had tired of her outfits and until Spike would take her shopping again, she was protesting by stealing his clothes.  Now she felt distinctly human, in a black t-shirt and dark jeans, baggy on her petite frame.

            "Excuse me miss," a voice from behind her made her whip around.  A man stood there.  He was quite a prissy little twig, with smooth hair and glasses.  _Smells like a Watcher…_she thought, licking her lips.

            "Yes?" she asked, adopting immediately her 'cute little bimbo' persona.

            "I'm looking for Sunnydale High," he puffed his chest out importantly, "My name is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, I'm a colleague of a man who works there.  Perhaps you know him? Rupert Giles?"

            "The librarian?" Buffy cocked her head innocently, "He spends a lot of time locked in there with these girls…it seems kinda skanky to me, but I don't really know him."  Wesley coughed when she said 'skanky' and blushed slightly.

            "Yes, well, which way to the school?"

            "I can take you there," she told him with a smile, "Come on."

********************************************************************************************

Eso es todo para aquĺ. R+R por favor


	9. Chapter 9

Turning the Tables

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I may not own it, but I love it.  Does that count for anything?

********************************************************************************************'

NEXT EVENING

            Drusilla stood in the middle of the front room of the mansion.  Her dress hung around her waist, torso bare.  She smiled with pure joy and anticipation.  Her body was perfectly still…like a statue of a saint.  _Soon to become a martyr_ Angelus thought wryly as he gripped one of the throwing knives off the end table.  He ran it under his nose, enjoying the scents of metal and death mingling into one tantalizing aroma.  Then he turned with inhuman speed and flung the knife at her.  It hit it's mark, wedged directly between her breasts.  Her body shuddered slightly, but her expression didn't change.  She knew this was how Angelus liked to play.

            He continued to fling them, one by one, each hitting it's mark perfectly, till five were buried in Drusilla's undead flesh.  The handles, beautifully crafted and decorated with silver carvings stayed shiny and clean; even while dark blood was pouring out around them, pooling at the floor.  She allowed herself a whimper of pain and thrill but still did not move.  Angelus would come when he was ready…he would come to her.

            The front door swung noisily open, some of the art on the walls fell with clatters of various volumes.  Angelus swung around, throwing the last knife as he turned, completing the pattern: a grotesque 'A', shaped by knife handles, marked by gushes of blood.

            "Spike!" He exclaimed, sounding for all the world like he was greeting an old friend he had not seen in years, "Dru and I were just thinking of you!"  Spike glanced at his former lover and was overcome momentarily with a wave of revulsion.  Soulless and evil or not, even in at the pinnacle of the damage Darla and her children inflicted on the world, Spike had not had the stomach for some of Angelus' more "creative" ideas.  Some things were just sick…even for a vampire.

            "You know, funny thing about Dru.  She's had a vision, and guess who's got a title role?  But the funny part is…she doesn't seem to want to tell me about it.  And you know me," he laughed harshly, "I don't like women to refuse me anything.  But even after all that torture…she still wouldn't tell me anything.  Just that you were being a bad boy.  Now then, son, since you're here…enlighten me."

            "Don't know a thing." Spike said, a little too quickly.  Angelus smiled lazily.

            "Of course you don't, Spike my boy.  And I suppose you haven't got a clue about the Slayer."

            "Slayer?  Dark hair, 'bout yea tall, name of Faith, if I'm not mistaken.  What, the bird after you?"

            "Not her," his sire growled, teeth clenched, "The other Slayer.  Buffy the Slayer."

            "Oh, thaat Slayer," Spike drawled, nodding his understanding, "Don't know a thing."

            "Somehow," Angelus took a menacing step forward, "I doubt that."

            "S' the truth, the whole truth, and nothin' but the truth.  So help me God," Spike lay a mocking hand over his still heart.

            "God's not gonna be helping you now…" Angelus stalked closer to him, muscles taut.  Spike swallowed hard.

            "Ehh, know what? Now that I think about it, I might have heard a thing or two about Buffy."  Angelus stopped and smiled.  It was just too easy bullying this one.

            "Really?  What kind of things?"  
            "Like…well…it's kind of difficult to explain," Spike admitted.

            "Difficult how?"

            "Difficult like how it's gonna be difficult to pry my foot out of your ass once I'm done with you."  Spike looked up in surprise and Angelus whirled around to see Buffy, standing next to the still bleeding Drusilla, looking sexy and very tasty.  She was holding some kind of wand thing that was giving off a very bad smell.  Some kind of new-age stake he supposed.

            "Buffy…I haven't seen you around lately," he began to make a circle on the floor, Buffy mirrored him and they faced each other dangerously.  Angelus was checking the air for the scent of Slayer.  Nothing.  It smelled almost…no, it wasn't possible.

            "You smell different, lover," he told her, squinting suspiciously at her.  She shrugged, waving her wand/stake/thing around when she did.

            "I bought a new perfume."  Angelus was still glaring when he heard a rustling from behind one of the heavy curtains.  He was over there after only a few seconds and ripped it back to see one of Buffy's annoying little friends, the red-head.  She was muttering something under her breath.

            "Don't bother praying sweetie, God isn't listening," he grinned, but when she continued murmuring his smile faded, "What are you saying?" She looked up at him and returned his grin.  It was so similar to his own it was frightening; definitely not the grin of a nerdy little high school girl.

            "Este scris, aceasta putere este dreptul poporuil meu de a conduce…Asa sa fie! Acum!" That sounded uncomfortably familiar.  A rush of wind blew up behind him, but no one else seemed to notice it.  Spike slowly brought his hands out from behind his back.  He was holding a lovely crystal orb…the center of which was glowing warm gold.

            "No…no…no!!!" Angelus bellowed into the night as the gold light shot into his own body.

********************************************************************************************'

PREVIOUS MORNING

            Willow pored over the computer screen.  They had snuck into the below ground section of the community library…the computer room.  Spike stood behind her, twitching every now and then, clearly very uncomfortable.  Computers and that bloody techie junk made him nervous.  But it was the only spot they could go during the day…it wasn't like he had electricity at the crypt, so stealing a computer wouldn't have helped them any.  After what seemed like an eternity, and he knew what eternity felt like, Willow turned back to him.

            "I've got it."

********************************************************************************************'

PRESENT TIME

            "Daddy?!" Dru shrieked, flying to the side of her own sire, who was now kneeling on the floor, doubled over with his hands covering his head.  She howled horribly, and when Spike hurried over and pulled her off of Angel she clawed at him, hissing and spitting like an angry cat.

            "Dru…Dru," he held her back and tenderly removed the knives.  Buffy and Willow looked on, not particularly pleased with the affection he was showing.  Drusilla's body shuddered and she went limp in Spike's arms.  He hoisted her up to face him, pulling her dress back up and holding her shoulders.

            "Drusilla, I love you, so I'm going to give you this…get out of here, Dru.  There's no reason for you to stay, if you do, we'll kill you."  His eyes showed her, even through her rage and madness, that he was completely serious.  He would kill her if she stayed.  Backing away slowly and fastening the buttons on her gown, Drusilla tutted quietly.

            "Willy, Willy, my sweet Willy…right cruel…cruel and black with swirling smoke…"  She then turned and raced away into the night, stab wounds barely slowing her down.  Spike sighed heavily and collapsed onto the floor, exhausted.  Both Buffy and Willow hurried over to him and smothered him with kisses, trying to keep his mind off Drusilla.

            "It's alright, I'm alright.  Don't bother about me…lets see where Peaches keeps his chains."

********************************************************************************************'

Not the most exciting chapter, but I needed it to continue the story.


	10. Chapter 10

Turning the Tables

Part 10

MORNING

            Angel's eyes twitched slightly.  Someone was rubbing a cool washcloth on his forehead.  His eyelids fluttered.  He felt very dizzy and a little nauseous.  Through the haze in his eyes, he saw blonde hair.

            "Buffy?" he whispered hopefully.  The rubbing stopped.  Buffy drew back.

            "He's up!" She called, and the sound made Angel wince as his head throbbed.  What was going on?  Where was he?  Why couldn't he move his arms?  He inhaled deeply, trying to catch all the scents in the room.  Vampire.  It stunk of vampire.  He could smell Dru, himself…and at least three others.  He squinted at Buffy.  Yes…what Angelus had thought was impossible was true, she had been turned.  The red head, Willow, she appeared as an auburn smudge in his field of vision.  She was changed too.  Who could have done this?  What sick, twisted creature…

            "Well hallo there grandsire! Fine morning isn't it?  Did widdle Angelkins (A/N: Yeah, I know that's Lorne's thing, but it kind of fit) have a nice nappie?"  Angel tensed immediately.  Of course.  Spike.  He growled and strained unsuccessfully against his bindings.  Spike just laughed.

            "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the curse.  What's wrong Peaches?  All that guilt disagreeing with you?"

            "You're dead, Spike." Angel hissed through clenched teeth.  Spike feigned shock.

            "Am I?" He pretended to take a pulse, "Why, I reckon I am! What a bloody surprise that is!"  Willow and Buffy both giggled appreciatively and Spike grinned back at them.  Angel winced again.  Not only was he dealing with the after-effects of being evil and chained to the ceiling in his own mansion…Spike had turned the woman he loved and one of her closest friends into his tittering call girls.

            "So what's the plan now, Spike?  Keep me here so you can taunt me with my friends' bodies?"

            "Oh, come on Angel…sweetheart," Buffy slunk over coyly and stroked his cheek, pressing herself against his chest, "You know I'm a lot more than just a body…"  He closed his eyes and turned sharply away.  Buffy giggled again and skipped back over to Spike.

CRYPT

            Wesley Wyndam-Pryce was not happy.  That girl…pretending she knew Mr. Giles.  Vampires.  He should have seen that coming.  Ahh, but he did see it coming!  He knew she was a vampire from the very start and was luring her into a false sense of security by allowing her to think she had him.  It was entirely not his fault that the second one jumped him while he was distracted.  _Yes_, he thought absentmindedly, _that will do quite nicely_.  He was caught up for a minute in awe of his own cleverness.  Then he remembered he was duct-taped to the wall of a vampire nest.  And he had gotten a sliver from that blasted stake.  Vampires.

MANSION

            "I really hate this place." Spike said from his position on the ornate sofa.  He, in complete disregard for the expensive antique, put his muddy boots up on the coffee table.

            "It's nice enough," Willow said with a shrug.  She was levitating.  Probably just to impress the non-magical members of her family, but no one really minded.

            "It's not about how nice it is…it's just not me."

            "He's got a point Pent," Buffy said before giggling at her joke.

            "Plus, I need to build my own world, with out his shadow looming over me all the time…it's bloody annoying."

            "Speaking of…do you think he's ever gonna wake up?" Buffy asked, pulling a peppermint out of a dish on the table and absentmindedly sucking on it.  She glanced at Angel.  It was really very rude of him to pass out and spoil their fun.  Rising, she walked over and ran her hands up and down his bare chest, feeling the burn marks and crusted blood from some of her more vigorous poker jabs.  Falling gracefully to her knees, she leaned in and ran her tongue in a cool deliberate line just above the waist line of his jeans.  His entire body shuddered and buckled.

            "That's quite enough of that!" Spike snapped, kicking the table backwards where the centuries old wood splintered.  Buffy rose, looking insulted.

            "Cool your jets Spike, I'm just messing with him.  I like to see his body react…even though his mind doesn't want to."

            "Still…" Spike growled low in his throat then grabbed her and pulled her back onto the couch with him.  He held her possessively on his lap, "Don't you dare forget…you're mine now."  Buffy giggled and wriggled until she was turned around, legs wrapped around his waist.

            "Don't worry Spikey…I'd never leave you.  And certainly not for soul-boy over there."  She rotated her hips with a sly smile.  Spike tilted his head back onto the couch and licked his lips.

            "That's the ticket, luv.  That's the ticket."

AFTERNOON (Summer's House)

            Joyce poured Giles a cup of tea and fetched sodas for Xander and Cordelia.  They all murmured their thanks and she got herself a cup before sitting down at the table.

            "So, what's happening on the Hellmouth front?"  She asked.  All three Scoobies glanced at each other.  Since when was Joyce part of the gang?

            "Oh, well, the usual.  Hellmouth business," Giles said, uncomfortably stirring his tea.

            "Rupert, please.  Buffy and Willow are dead.  Let me help.  I can't just go on ignoring the evil here."

            "Very well," the librarian sighed, "Currently we're investigating the murder of a janitor.  For all appearances he was drained by vampires, but he had a peculiar symbol carved into-"  He broke off quickly when he saw Joyce shudder.

            "No, no, go on.  I'm just…not used to it yet.  Please," she took a sip of tea, "continue."

            "Joyce…"

            "I have to do something…I can't just sit here!"  
            "I don't expect you to," Giles said calmly, laying a hand on her slightly trembling arm, "But just because you don't want to turn your back on all that Buffy fought for does not mean you need to replace her.  We promise we will call you if we could ever use your services.  But for now, let's just have a nice visit."  Joyce opened her mouth to argue, then nodded, defeated.

That's it for now…sorry it's short, but I don't want to fall behind and not post for a long time. By the by, I just saw Van Helsing, and I loved it. The script wasn't that great, but the characters and action was compelling. Not for those with sensitive ears (it's a LOUD movie). I definitely recommend it!


	11. Chapter 11

Turning the Tables

Chapter 11

MANSION

            Willow was draped over a reclining chair, deep into one of the blood-stained spell books Charlie had given her as "graduation present".  She smiled as she turned the yellowing pages, ignoring the screams of pain coming from the other room.

            "There's a lot of very interesting stuff in here," she remarked to Spike, who was playing with the tie on his duster.

            "Really?  What kind of interesting?"  
            "Blood magic interesting," she said with a wicked grin.  There was another heart-wrenching, blood-curdling, soul-tearing shriek from the other room.  "Would you keep it down?" she shouted.  Honestly, she was trying to tell Spike about the new evil majicks she was finding.  It was the least Buffy could do to keep the torture down.  There was a ripping sound and the shrieking was stifled to muffled whimpers.  Better.

LIBRARY

            Giles blocked a kick with his oversized padding and spun around, knocking Faith off her feet with his quarterstaff.  He held out a hand to help her up and she took it grumpily.

            "Don't know why I have to bother with this," she grumbled, "Not like I'll ever be fighting a vamp with one of those stupid sticks."

            "You never know what kind of weaponry a situation may call for," Giles stated, drawing up to his full height, like he always did when he was getting into full Watcher-mode, "In many instances vampires do use weaponry.  Such as the thankfully disbanded vampire cult "El Eliminati" which-"

            "Yeah, yeah, whatever G."

            Giles opened his mouth, not quite sure himself whether to scold her for brushing off his lesson or for calling him "G", but closed it resignedly.  Faith wouldn't listen.  Buffy would have.  She would have pretended not to, but he knew that she always at least half-listened to whatever her was saying. Faith didn't even bother acting like she was paying the slightest attention to him.  He missed Buffy.

That really wasn't the only classification of his feelings though.  He more than missed her.  Part of him, his staunch Watcher training, felt failure.  Everyone knew that the Slayer would die, most likely sooner rather than later.  But he had never understood the grief and the sense of guilt.  It was his fault his Slayer died.  He should have prepared her better, or researched more thoroughly.  The rational part of his mind knew that this wasn't true, but it was only a small part struggling against the irrational portion.

He knew now why so many of the Watchers who actually had the chance to Watch the Slayer left the Council, drew into seclusion, or even went mad.  Probably the only reason he was still hanging on was for Xander, Cordelia, Oz and Joyce's sakes.  Without them to tie him down, he was sure he would have broken when he heard of Buffy's death and vampire resurrection.  Briefly, he wondered what ever had happened to the Watcher who was supposed to come assist them.  But he shook his head and concentrated on the sparring again.  These were too dark thoughts to be thinking of.  Not now.  Not when the world needed him.

SUNNY HEIGHTS (High Scale Apartment Complex)

            "It's really a lovely view of the beach, plus necro-tempered glass, to protect you from those nasty UV rays!" Bonnie Northrup, real-estate agent, told the happy young couple in the apartment with a toothy smile. 

            "Oh, Jim…isn't it lovely?" Kathy Thompson asked, rubbing her husband's arm excitedly.  This was just perfect beyond perfect.  It was the sweetest apartment, not too expensive, in a wonderful neighborhood.  It was strange.  In all the other towns they had looked at, an apartment like this would have cost them at least twice as much.  A sixth story view, friendly neighbors according to Bonnie…it was all they could have asked for.

            "It sure is sweetheart," Jim replied, grinning back at his wife.  A fine place to live, fine indeed.

            "Would you like me to get the paperwork?" Bonnie asked hopefully, smile never dimming.  With any luck, she could make a sale and be out of here for lunch.

            "Yes…" Jim said, squeezing Kathy's hand in excitement, "yes, I think that's an excellent idea."

CRYPT

            Wesley was counting how many stones there were in the ceiling when there was clattering from downstairs.  He froze, totally losing count, and stared worriedly at the stairwell.  What evil might erupt from the horrible abyss of the underworld?  He was distracted from his terror for a moment, congratulating himself on the poetic description he had given when the evil erupted from the horrible abyss.

            A girl, with bright red hair and mostly nonexistent clothing.  She walked over and pulled the chains binding his hands out of the ceiling.  Wrapping them around one of her own hands she yanked him towards the stairs…towards the sewer tunnels.

            "Come on Watcher…we're going on a trip."

SUNNY HEIGHTS

            Kathy snuggled closer to Jim and sighed contentedly.  It was theirs.  The beautiful apartment was all theirs.  She took a handful of popcorn out of the bowl on the coffee table and glanced at the television.  Jim was watching some kind of Western movie.  Uninteresting…but he was watching it on the TV in their new apartment.  It was so exciting!  There was a knock on the door and she frowned, rising and heading over.  Who would it be at this hour?  They didn't even know anyone in Sunnydale yet.  She opened the door to reveal five people.  A man with white-blonde hair with his arm around a pretty blonde; a red-head who was tightly holding the hand of a sorrowful looking dark-haired man; and another man who had his hands behind his back and was twitching slightly.

            "Yes?" She asked cautiously.

            "Hi there," the first man stepped forward with a large smile that showed many gleaming white teeth, "We're the Summers family, these are the Rosenbergs and Mr. Wyndam-Pryce.  We all live on this floor, and we just popped over for a bit of a welcome to the building get-together.  Sorry it's so late, but Wes was working late today."

            "Oh, that's so very sweet! Come in, all of you, come in!" She beckoned them all inside.  The two blondes and the redhead grinned very widely, and the other two men became even more unhappy looking.  But they all walked in, the single man pushed through first, followed by the red-head, Mrs. Rosenberg, dragging her husband forcefully.

            "Jim, honey, we have guests!" She turned to smile at her husband.  She was still smiling when she fell, unconscious from the sharp blow "Mrs. Rosenberg" had delivered to the back of her head.  "Mr. Summers" closed the door quickly, before Jim's shouts could carry into the hall.  He didn't shout for long.

Pretty short, but it's all I had time for…RR!


	12. Chapter 12

Turning the Tables

Chapter 12

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SUNNY HEIGHTS

            "What is that smell?" Spike asked, wrinkling his nose from his position on the couch.  Willow stretched, very feline in appearance, and resettled herself on his lap.

            "I dunno."  There was clattering and clanking from the kitchen and the pair rose cautiously, kicking aside the unconscious bodies of the apartment's former owners.  Rounding the corner, they found Buffy, humming slightly by the stove.

            "Cross? Bloody hell, what are you doing?"

            "I made pancakes!" She proclaimed excitedly, gesturing towards a stack of lumpy, lopsided dough piles that were an odd shade of pink.

            "Why are they that color, luv?" He watched the 'pancakes' warily, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

            "Well, I found this box of mix, and I thought 'whoa! Why use water? We don't drink water'  So, I put in blood instead."

            "Blood from where?" Willow asked, sniffing the air with an undecipherable expression.

            "The Watcher.  Oh don't worry, he's still alive.  Just a bit light-headed."  With a wide smile, she turned back to her cooking.  Spike and Willow backed away slowly, until they were back on the couch.

            "We have to do something about her," Willow hissed at him, careful to keep her voice low, unheard by even Buffy's enhanced ears.

            "I know," Spike replied, "It's that bloody mother of hers.  She misses her," he growled with disgust, "We have to take care of her."

            "What do we do?"

            "I don't know…"

            "I could look for something in that book Charlie gave me. I'm sure there's something-"

            "No…no, that won't do.  Don't get me wrong pet, the majicks are bloody brilliant, but this is a vampire problem.  We're gonna have to settle it the old-fashioned way."

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LIBRARY

            "Are we gonna be here much longer?" Cordelia whined from the stairs.

            "If you were actually doing any work we would have been through hours ago," Giles snapped.  She shot him a hurt look and turned away with an indignant sniff, "I'm sorry Cordelia.  I'm very tense right now."

            "Yeah, I mean, we've got freaky symbol carving vamps, plus we don't know what Angel's doing.  Not that I'm complaining, but why hasn't he tried to murder us all recently?"

            "That poses an interesting dilemma indeed Xander," Giles removed his glasses and began to clean them, "It's possible he is attempting to lull us into a false sense of security.  Or, he may have simply moved on to a more populated area.  Buffy seemed to be what was holding Angelus to Sunnydale…and, of course, she is no longer here."

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SUNNY HEIGHTS

            Willow stared out at the afternoon sun and sighed.  If everything went according to plan all this waiting might end.  She turned back and looked at the still bodies of Kathy and Jim Thompson.  She sighed again.  Might as well.  Walking lazily over she raised her left hand, which had a pentacle carved into it and held it over the bodies.

            "Awake," she said firmly.  Immediately they stirred.

            "We must have fallen asleep on the couch," Kathy said with a light laugh to her husband.

            "Must have," Jim grunted, pulling himself up on the coffee table.  Neither of them seemed to notice the vampire who was watching them curiously.

            "Breakfast?" Kathy asked after he helped her up.  They headed jovially into the kitchen.  Willow smiled.  Worked like a charm.  That was definitely a useful spell.  They acted like perfectly normal people, while they were actually her puppets.  No suspicious people or suspicious behavior to clue the remnants of the Scooby gang as to where they were hiding.

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SUMMERS RESIDENCE (evening)

            Joyce was carefully carrying her mug of herbal tea into the living room when the kitchen door opened.  She spilled some of the tea onto the floor and cursed mentally.  That would leave a watermark on the wood.

            "Rupert?" She called, heading back to set down the cup and get some paper toweling.  Maybe if she dabbed it up quickly it wouldn't stain.  She entered the kitchen and the cup fell from her hands and shattered, letting tea flow all over the kitchen floor.

            "That's going to stain," Spike commented casually from his perch on the counter.  Joyce felt frozen to the spot.  She should back away.  She should run away.  But she was transfixed by the man who murdered her daughter.

            "You…" she whispered.  Spike looked pleasantly pleased.

            "Me.  It looks very nice in here, Joyce.  Have you repainted?"

            "You killed her…how dare you come back here…" her voice was choked with rage and wavered dangerously.  She should run.  She should get a stake.  He killed her.  He killed Buffy.

            "Well, you see Joyce, it's darling Buffy that I've come to talk to you about.  As it happens, even though she's now dearly departed and running with my gang, she's attached to an aspect of her human life," He gave her a sideways glance, as if to gauge her reaction, "That's you, luv."  Joyce stared at him.  Was this some kind of trick?  Buffy…

            "We have to do something about that little problem.  Now, in my experience, the whole 'turn the mother' scene never plays as well as expected," He told her with a 'sympathetic' gaze, "But don't you worry about a thing.  I've already come up with a new plan."  Simultaneously, he hopped off the counter and slid into game face.

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SUNNYDALE PUBLIC LIBRARY (construction site)

            Xander ducked a flurry of punches from him vampire assailant and popped up quickly to stick the stake into his heart.

            "Well," he said through heavy breaths as the dust settled, "At least somebody in this town still cares about reading."  Looking around he saw that Faith had staked both of her attackers and Giles was finishing up on his.  Why vampires were drawn to construction site for the new library…

            "That was…invigorating," Giles wheezed.

            "Those were newbie vamps, I wanna kick some fun ass!" Faith complained, fighting the air in demonstration.

            "I just might be able to make that wish come true," Spike stepped out from behind some of the metal framework and was met with several stakes all put to the ready, "Hang on there, never said that I was gonna fight you.  No, I think I'll let my new friend handle that part."

            "Oh, just shut up already and fight," Giles rolled his eyes.  Dramatics.  That stupid vampire always had to be the thespian.

            "Steady on there Rupes.  You'll get your chance.  Come on now luv," he turned back to the shadows and gestured to someone waiting there, "don't be shy."

            In a clean white gown, a slightly confused looking Joyce Summers emerged.

            "Joyce!" Giles started forward but Faith threw out an arm to hold him back, "For heaven's sake, let me go! Spike will kill her!"

            "Already did," Faith said with disgust, "She's a vampire."

            "You don't believe that, do you Rupert?" Joyce asked in a small voice.  Giles was torn.  His Slayer knew a vampire when she saw one but…Joyce.  It was Joyce.  He pushed forward again and Faith grabbed his arm and yanked him backwards.

            "You're my Watcher, I'm not gonna let you get slaughtered because you won't believe your lady friend is a blood-sucking bitch!"

            "Rupert, please, please help me.  He…you don't know how horrible he is.  So nasty, his mind is full of nasty things," she glanced at Spike with terror and her voice trembled.  Spike sneered at Giles.

            "You heard the lady, mate.  Do you really want me to elaborate on the nasty things I've got planned for this tasty morsel?  You read all about Angelus, didn't you?  He taught me everything I know…except for the music.  I learned about playing the music from Dru."

            It was too much for Giles.  In a burst of speed uncharacteristic of a man his age, he ducked away from Faith, whose grip had relaxed in the lull.  He sprinted forward and grabbed Joyce's hand.  It was cold.  Very cold.  He looked in horror into her eyes and they flashed amber.

            "Joyce," he whispered, dropping her hand and backing away quickly.  She followed slowly.

            "Don't you want to save me anymore?  Be the big hero and rescue the damsel in distress?"  Faith stepped forward with her stake and Joyce stopped, clucking her tongue.

            "So you're the Slayer now, are you?  You aren't as pretty as my Buffy.  Or didn't Rupert tell you about Buffy?" She glanced over at Giles and his stiffened shoulders told her everything, "She was Slayer before you were.  And she was my little girl long before that.  I loved my Buffy.  This man," she pointed at Giles, but her eyes never left Faith's transfixed face, "let her die.  He was her Watcher too, you know.  He was supposed to protect her and teach her.  Instead, he let Spike over there get at her.  I'd be willing to bet my bottom dollar that you've fought Buffy.  She's blonde, about this tall, and she hangs around him," she jerked her thumb back towards Spike who was grinning proudly.

            Faith stared at this woman…this vampire…and found she had difficulty breathing.  That blonde girl she had fought so many times…was the previous Slayer.  But she had been more than just the Slayer.  She had been Buffy.  A trusted friend, a beloved daughter…things Faith had never been allowed to be.  She heard scuffling from somewhere off to the right but couldn't tear her eyes away from the vampire who had been the Slayer's mother.  Joyce was steadily advancing towards her, but before she was within grabbing distance, she felt a distinctly unpleasant sensation in her chest.  Looking down, and feeling oddly detached, she saw some wood emerging from it.  Looking up, she saw Rupert Giles, thin streams of tears running down his cheeks.

            "I'm sorry, Joyce.  I'm so sorry," he whispered.  She fell forward and he held her in his arms until she was only dust falling to the ground.  He looked up and he saw the source of the scuffling Faith heard.  Standing on the scaffolding, in a state of shock, was Buffy.  A couple feet away was a very pleased looking Willow.  She exchanged a knowing gaze with Spike who was looking cockier than ever, but quickly adopted a look of horror when Buffy's gaze turned to him.  Willow did the same.  Buffy inched forwards to the edge of the platform she was standing on and stared at the ground where her mother had blended with the dirt.

            "Mommy?" She whispered, eyes wide.

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Cliffhanger.  And I'm so sorry about Joyce.  I loved Joyce too, I really did. But she was needed for the plot.  RRR


	13. Chapter 13

Turning the Tables

Chapter 13

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SUNNYDALE PUBLIC LIBRARY (Construction site)

"Mommy?" Buffy leapt down from the scaffolding and walked jerkily towards the last place Joyce had been in a human form, "Mommy? Mommy?" She reached the spot where the dust lay and sank to the ground.

"No, no, Mommy, Mommy, please Mommy," she clawed at the dirt, lifting it, letting it fall through her hands, trying to piece her mother back together, "No…Mommy…" She ducked her head and began to sob.

Giles bit his lip. He had backed away when Buffy had started to advance and now his heart was breaking. Why? Why, oh, why? But now, Buffy looked up slowly. Her eyes met his.

"You bastard." Her voice was detached, shaking with icy fury, "You killed her. You killed my mother."

"Buffy, you must listen, please-"

"No. No more 'please'. No more games." She looked over her shoulder at Spike and Willow, "My mother is dead. And for that…" her eyes focused on Giles once more and her lips twisted into a devilish grin, "This town is going to beg for clemency. And guess what?" her gaze shifted to Xander and Faith, "I dunno what that means."

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SUNNY HEIGHTS (A Few Hours Earlier)

Buffy stared out the window and sighed. Everything was so boring now. Nothing to do…nothing was fun. Hunting wasn't fun…even torturing Angel had lost it's appeal. The high-pitched shrieks coming from the bedroom stopped and Willow exited.

"That Watcher is pretty fun."

"Is he?" Buffy asked without much interest. Who cared? "Where's Spike gone to?" Sometimes Spike still entertained her. Willow smiled a very cat-like smile.

"He's gone to get a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Buffy perked up. Surprises were good. "What kind of surprise?"

"If I told you…" Willow shook her head and trailed off. Buffy crawled over and ran a cold finger down Willow's neck, brushing the scar she still wore from her change. Willow shuddered and gasped.

"Please…" Buffy made her best puppy dog face. Willow licked her lips.

"I'll give you a clue…it starts with a 'J'."

"J…" Buffy frowned, thinking, "Jam…jump…joy…" she froze and her eyes widened, "Joyce."

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SUNNYDALE HIGH

"A rash of murders and arsons has swept through the city. Officials believe it to be the work of a gang that also terrorized Sunnydale High earlier this year-"

Principal Snyder shut the radio off and leaned back in his chair. Idiots. This was one of the sloppiest cover-up jobs he had ever had to deal with. He could do so much better if only the Mayor gave him more power.

"Sunnydale," he hissed, letting all his disgust for the place seep into the one word. What he wouldn't give to be back on a high profile assignment…he knew Sunnydale was on a Hellmouth but still. He was perfectly able to handle something much larger. He wished he hadn't been passed up for that Loch Ness job. It wouldn't have been hard to do better than the last guy. But Mayor Wilkins had specifically requested him.

"Deep in thought?" an innocent sounding voice asked. He looked up. It was the Slayer.

"Miss Summers. You haven't been in school lately. I'm afraid we'll have to-"

"Oh, stow it Snyder." He clamped his mouth shut in indignation. How dare she talk to him that way! He was the principal! She couldn't just…now she was picking pens up off his desk and studying them.

"Summers I've tried to be patient with you but-"

"But now I've gone too far. I'm a very bad girl," she nodded seriously, "Bad, bad Buffy. I'll have to be punished now," she leaned forward so her nose was only a few inches from his, "But are you big enough to punish me? Little Snyder?" Now he was fuming. 'Little Snyder'?! Is that what those vile students called him? He stood up quickly and walked around the desk to show her just what he was capable of. Bad move.

She grabbed his shirt collar and shoved him up against the wall so his legs dangled helpless in midair.

"Aww, poor widdle Snyder," she made a mockingly sad face, "Not tall enough to discipline naughty Buffy?"

"I…I know that you're the Slayer!" he choked out, "Slayers don't kill humans!" Buffy pretended to consider this a moment.

"No, I suppose they don't. But," she slid into game face, "I'm also a vampire now. And killing humans is sort of what we do."

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"Ding dong the principal's dead," Xander announced when he entered the library that morning.

"What?" Cordy looked up from her nail polish, "Dead? Snyder? No way."

"Way. They found him this morning all slumped over his desk. And guess what was written on his desk?"

"Anesthesiology?" Oz offered as he entered the room.

"'Merry Christmas'…in his own blood," Xander informed them. Cordelia wrinkled her nose.

"Gross. Thanks for the details Harris."

"But who would kill Principal Snyder?" Oz asked. The other two stared at him, "All right, pointless question."

"Oz has a point," Xander admitted, "I mean, who didn't want to kill him…but who actually would?"

"I think it's obvious," Cordy said, rolling her eyes and returning to her 'Berry Kiss'.

"To who?" Xander asked. Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"Duh, brain trust. Who do we know who hates Snyder more than most other people and just got upgraded to 'vicious and violent murderer'?"

"Buffy." All three said in unison.

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That's all for now. Terribly sorry about the REEEEALLY long wait. R/R


	14. Chapter 14

Turning the Tables

Part 14

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SUNNYDALE HIGH LIBRARY

Giles picked up the phone and dialed.

"Yes…this is Rupert Giles. I'm calling to inquire about the Watcher you were supposed to have sent for the new Slayer. You did? Well he must have…he checked in when he arrived here? No, I haven't seen him. That's why I'm calling. Yes. Well, call me if he contacts you again." He hung up with a puzzled sigh.

The Watcher's Council had sent a Watcher…top of his class at the Academy. He called to report he was in Sunnydale and hadn't been heard from since. Where could he have gone to?

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SUNNY HEIGHTS APARTMENT COMPLEX (Second Bedroom)

"Say pretty please…"

"P-pretty p-please…" Wesley coughed. Willow circled the glass of water around his head, admiring her handiwork. He was covered in burns and cuts. Plus she had turned his hair pink. Even if the spell was supposed to make his eyeballs melt…

"I don't know…are you sure you're thirsty?"

"Y-y-yes…" his throat was so dry he could barely speak.

"Oh. All right then. Here we go," she pulled the nightstand over, letting the lamp on top of it crash to the floor. She placed it about a foot in front of his bound body and set the glass on top of it, "Help yourself."

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SUNNYDALE HIGH LIBRARY

"No. They can't be serious," Giles fell back into his chair, memo still clutched in his hand, "This is ludicrous!"

"Lead us well, Kemo Sabe." Xander quipped.

"This is hardly a laughing matter, Xander!"

"Yes, master," he bowed dramatically. Giles chose to ignore him.

"Substitute principal? What in the world were they thinking?"

"Come on Giles, you wield the mighty power of knowledge," Giles shot Xander a look and he shrugged, "Everyone else was too scared on account of the Snyder-kabobs?"

"Most likely. Trust than horrid man to plague me even from beyond the grave!"

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SLAYER TRAINING AREA

Faith jabbed at the punching bag fiercely. She would beat Buffy…she knew she would. She had to. It had just been her duty before. Now that she knew Buffy was once the Slayer…now it was personal. That vampire had taken a Slayer and made her like him. It was horrible. She was going to put Buffy out of her misery.

"Just you wait, girl. I'm coming for you."

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SUNNY HEIGHTS (Master Bedroom)

"I'm bored."

"Well now, that stings," Spike commented and tightened his hold around her. She rolled her eyes.

"Not with you. With Sunnydale. There's nothing left here for me…why are we still here?"

"It is the Hellmouth, pet. It's sort of a traditional vamp hang-out."

"Screw tradition. I wanna see the world Spike. Europe, Asia, everything!"

"I think that could be arranged." Buffy smiled and snuggled closer to him.

"We'll just wrap up business here and we'll be off."

"What kind of business might that be?"

"I want to go out with a bang…the denizens of Sunnydale are not going to forget Buffy Summers."

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SUNNYDAYLE PUBLIC LIBRARY (Construction Site)

Giles was surprised when he discovered where he was. He had meant to head straight home after an exasperating day of substitute principaling…but his feet had taken him here. Walking under the large metal beams he discovered his second surprise. Buffy was seated on the dirt, wearing a long white gown. Her head was down.

Giles pulled a stake out of his jacket but still stood spellbound. What would she be doing here? Could it possibly be the same thing he was doing? But vampires were incapable of feeling emotions such as grief or loss. Weren't they? _Maybe…maybe she's special. Maybe her Slayer powers preserved part of her soul_…he thought feverishly.

"Buffy?" He called before he could stop himself. In one fluid motion she rose and turned. Her face was sad, a stream of tears running slowly down each cheek.

"I loved her, Giles. Even now…I still loved her."

"I know you did. But she was evil…there was nothing I could have done." Buffy sighed.

"I know, Giles. I know you did what you had to. But still…" His heart leapt. She wasn't gone. She was Buffy. Still Buffy…

"It's still you in there, isn't it Buffy?" He whispered. She looked into his eyes and slowly smiled.

"I think maybe it is."

"Oh god, Buffy," they both walked forward. He embraced her tightly, "It's you Buffy…it's really truly you…" Slowly they pulled back. Buffy's eyes flickered.

"No…sorry," she smiled again, but this was a demonic smile befitting a vampire, "It really truly isn't."

In the still night, she was the only one who could hear the sickening crack of a snapping neck.

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o.O R/R


	15. Chapter 15

Turning the Tables

Part 15

A/N: This is the last chapter. 15 is a nice round number so…I've decided to end it. It was nice having you along for the ride!

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SUNNYDALE HIGH LIBRARY

"'Surprise'?" Xander stared at the writing scrawled across the library door. What was the surprise? He pushed the doors open and saw Giles seated at one of the back tables, "Hey G-man! What am I surprised about?"

Giles did nothing. He just stared at the book laid out in front of him.

"Giles?" Xander walked closer. What was up with Giles? Then he noticed something. Giles neck looked sort of…strange. _Oh god…_he ran forward, "Giles!" He touched his shoulder. Giles fell sideways, dead eyes staring.

_Oh god…oh god…_morbid curiosity peaked, he glanced down at the book that was one the table. It was the 'Sunnydale High Yearbook', just printed. It was open to the Staff page. There was a bloody 'X' through both Giles and Principal Snyder's pictures. And in cheerful loopy writing he recognized as Buffy's…'Two down.'

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SUNNY HEIGHTS

"That was totally unfair," Willow complained, "just running off and killing him. Not giving anyone else a turn."

"I told you Pent, it's part of the plan."

"Plan schman," she poked half-heartedly at Angel, "I wanted to play."

"I'm sure we'll all get our turn, luv," Spike fingered a dagger and pressed it experimentally to Angel's arm. He winced as the trickle of blood ran down.

"Exactly Spike. There are still three Scoobies left. That's plenty to go around."

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ESPESSO PUMP

"It's three of them against three of us. That is so totally unfair," Cordelia complained. Xander gave her a strange look.

"In what dimension did you learn math, Cordy?"

"Apparently the same one where you learned about fighting, Harris. They're vampires. Which makes 3-3 completely tipped in their favor."

"She's got a point," Oz spoke for the first time since they had arrived. Xander sighed.

"I know, I know. It's just…"

"You don't want to think about how badly we're gonna be slaughtered if we go against them?" Cordy offered.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence."

"We need a plan," Oz stated the obvious.

"I know what else we need…"

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SUNNYDALE PUBLIC LIBRARY (Construction)

Buffy waited. They would come. She knew it. Stupid mortals…they would always return to the same place of tragedy.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before she heard footsteps.

"Hello Xander," she smiled at the look of shock she imagined on his face.

"Hey Buff."

"Have you come to stake me?" She turned to see him clutching his stake in a trembling hand.

"Maybe."

"Don't play games with me, Xander. You're my bestest friend. That I haven't killed yet, of course." Xander let out a harsh bark of laughter.

"That's me. Last man standing."

"Not for long," Buffy smiled toothily at him, "I'm afraid you've been tricked." Spike and Willow both emerged from the shadows, cutting off any escape routes. Xander spun around, looking wildly for some way to get away. There was nothing. He turned back and hung his head. His shoulders began to shake.

"Oh please," Willow rolled her eyes, "tell me he isn't crying."

"He isn't," Xander looked up, trying very hard to stop his laughter.

"What's so funny?" Buffy asked suspiciously tilting her head.

"Well, Buffy…I'm afraid you are the one who's been tricked." Now Cordelia, Oz and Faith came into view. Each was aiming a crossbow at one of the vampires.

Buffy and Willow both hissed and Spike growled. They had been tricked. All their planning…to wreak havoc throughout the world…it was all over. They were going to be dust. They would never leave Sunnydale.

"Now, I think we're about even."

"Even?" Buffy snorted, "A guy with a stake and three with crossbows. How is that even?"

"Well…we don't really want to hurt you. Besides Spike." Spike scoffed. "So…we're going to give you a chance."

"A chance? What kind of a chance?" Xander sighed. It was wrong. He knew it was wrong but…

"Leave. Leave Sunnydale, don't come back and we'll call it even." He was loosing three extremely dangerous vampires on the rest of the world but…he couldn't bring himself to just kill Buffy and Willow.

The vampires looked at each other. It was embarrassing. To be 'let go' like animals. But…when the other option was dust in the wind…

"We'll take it." Buffy said, "We'll grab our stuff and get out of here."

"No," Xander shook his head, "No stuff. Just leaving."

"But-" Willow started but he shook his head. Her spells! Where was she going to get another book? And Wesley and Angel! She didn't want to leave her toys!

"Come on," Spike grunted, "Let's go, girls."

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SOMEWHERE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN

Spike took a drag on his cigarette then offered it to Buffy. She passed it on to Willow who threw it into the ocean and watched until her vampire eyes couldn't see it anymore. They had boarded the first ship leaving…headed for Japan. Willow had always wanted to go to Japan.

"What do Japanese people taste like?" Buffy asked, after making sure there were no humans walking around on deck to overhear them. Very few people would be walking the decks in the middle of the night but one could never be too careful. It would be so easy for them to get put somewhere they couldn't hide from the sun.

"I dunno," Spike shrugged, "Sort of like Chinese. A little spicier. Fishy." Buffy nodded then directed her attention to the horizon. She couldn't see land anymore, not even with enhanced vision. Sunnydale was gone. Possibly forever.

"Do you think they found the boys?" Willow asked. The other two shrugged. Willow sighed. It would be a shame for two such fun toys to die. Angel wouldn't of course…but he could become a blood-sucking skeleton if he was stuck long enough. That would have been interesting to see.

"I hope I like Asia," Buffy ignored the other girl.

"I hope so too, luv. We might be there for a while."

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ESPRESSO PUMP

"A rash of unexplained murders has swept Japan," Cordy commented from the computer she was searching on. Xander sighed.

"I knew they would just go off and start killing people elsewhere but…I couldn't kill them, you know?" In a rare flash of empathy Cordy nodded and put her hand on Xander's arm soothingly.

"Hey guys." Oz walked over, bearing coffee. They sat in silence for a few moments, sipping their coffees and thinking. Then Oz spoke again, "Has anybody seen Faith lately?"

**End**

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Thanks everybody for the reviews! Read my other stuff…and look out for the new Dawn-centered 'Ghosts of the Past' coming soon!


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